The School of Public Health provides mastery in the skills necessary to analyze and address critical and endemic health issues and its determinants. Indeed, the importance of mastery in epidemiology and community-based health-outcomes research techniques is critical to achieving improvements in outcomes measurement. Research skills obtained through intensive coursework is specific to career goals that engage and improve diverse under-served populations. The program provides exceptional preparation using an interdisciplinary methodology. A function of effective public health field research includes demanding statistical and epidemiological coursework; aimed to provide the scientific knowledge applicable to improving the environmental conditions and health status of populations experiencing the greatest disparities and deficiencies in health potential. The training opportunities available in the program provide tremendous preparation to venture into the field and perform community-based studies to improve environmental conditions and health-outcomes for the most vulnerable. This is to include women and children living in poverty,

Specific areas of focus include addressing the lack of supportive health policies, sub-optimal or dysfunctional health services, insufficient human and material resources, global environmental and climate change and a lack of control over decisions directly affecting health and social well-being. Research carried out at UBC is cross-disciplinary in nature and serves to identify priority health issues, their determinants and appropriate, applicable solutions. Further interest in the UBC MPH program does stem from an alignment in similar faculty interests in researching optimal methods and techniques to curb preventable infectious illnesses.
In sum, the program offers a unique match to my particular volunteer experience and educational background as well as research interests. Indeed, the core coursework does provide a strong foundation in the study of epidemiology, which is imperative to the successful completion of self-directed goals. Although I do lack direct career experience in the field of public health, previous career development was a function providing exposure to field conditions to further my research interest to reach personal and career goals, and to be involved with progressive development as an alumnus of the program.